1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of image capture apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing image capture apparatuses include those of the type having a slide cover provided on a front face of an outer housing face of the apparatus, in which the slide opens or closes to cover or uncover a capturing lens. With the slide cover provided, the capturing lens can be protected in the non-capture event. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-115109 and corresponding to U.S. Patent Application No. 2006-0163095A (Ser. No. 537721), there is disclosed an image capture apparatus including a slidable slide cover for covering or uncovering a capturing lens.
Further, there are image capture apparatuses of the type that includes a grip projection portion that allows a user to hold the apparatus with fingers of the user in the capture event. The provision of the grip projection portion enables securing high holdability of the apparatus, thereby to enable preventing motion blurring caused by a camera shake or the like.
Existing image capture apparatuses including such a slide cover and a grip projection portion as described above include those of two types. In one type, the slide cover and grip projection portion are provided spaced apart from one another along the right-left direction on, the front face of the outer housing. In the other type, the grip projection portion is provided to the slide cover on the front face of the outer housing. As an example, a digital still camera DSC-T30 (Trademark of Sony Corporation) is the type in which the slide cover and grip projection portion are provided spaced apart from one another along the right-left direction on the front face of the outer housing.
However, in an image capture apparatus of the other type in which the grip projection portion is provided to the slide cover, the grip projection portion is provided to the slide cover, which is a movable member. In this case, there can occur a case in which the state in which the image capture apparatus is held with fingers placed on the grip projection portion is unstable, such that the apparatus is poor in ease of use or usability.